Nope. No idea when the power will come on. I have Duquesne Light and they are pretty good at these type situations so hopefully it wont be too long. Another power company here in western Pennsylvania was reported as telling its customers that not all power would be restored until February 10th to the 12th. Ouch.
The wife is enjoying herself. Me too to be honest. I'm not sure what we will do today, either the new Rivers Casino or Phipps Conservatory here in Pittsburgh. Might try to slip and slide down to the Strip District and do a little railfanning on Norfolk Southern. Not exactly roughing it, is it?
I got to thinking last night how I use to complain about how hot and miserable it was when I was in Viet Nam. But I'm thinking I would rather have been there instead of places like Korea and Europe in the winter. It seems to me being cold and frozen like those guys was a heck of a lot worse. I better include all other cold area war fronts too, like the North Atlantic, so as not to forget them.
So no matter how tough circumstances get, somebodys always in worse shape. My life is good.
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
Good snowy morning. Its currently 1 and the windchill is -9.
Well I still gotta clear one car off. I was to cold to do it yesterday. Right now the snow stopped but what melted on the roads is now ice. I am suppose to go to work in the morning (3:00 am), but our county and city is still under a "state of emergency". I might just call later this afternoon and tell the supervisor "your crazy to be out".
Maybe work on the layout some more today. Try to make it to the grocery store, well if that will be possible.
Hope everybody has a good morning.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Good morning all! Chloe, may I please have two eggs over-easy, with French toast, a side of fried pastrami, and hash browns? Thanks. Oh, may I also have a Chocolate Coffee in a NH&I mug? Again Thanks!
Well I am underway with my layout planning, again! This time I should have a little bit more “Playability” in the design. I want to have where all three NH&I Diesels can be running at the same time to switch the industries, then lash up together to pull the entire set of cars to the respective “interchanges”. We shall see.
Rob- I have an HO ATLAS CSX C30-7, it came DCC ready, which would allow you to upgrade if your wife ever wanted to go that route. It is a smooth runner too! Very quiet running as well. I think I paid around $60 or $70 for it. It has an 8-pin plug, which some manufacturers offer sound decoders for it, I know Digitrax is one of them, I have yet to order mine though, but it will be soon! On the BN road switcher front, I don’t know which ones you “favor”, but I have always been particular towards either the SD40-2 or the GP30, Just my …
Garry- My condolences on your D-I-L’s loss.
On the issue of Lash-ups, I have seen photos where NJ Transit locomotives were in consist (not Mu’ed) with freight trains. They were in route from Transit to the rebuilding company, and vice-a-versa. So, almost anything IS possible!!!
Jeff- I hope someone gets their act together on your behalf. I dislike it when people screw up something as important as my prescription, it’s like, HELLO this is your JOB, HOW can you SCREW it up so BADLY??? But as George Carlin used to say “Someone, somewhere, has an appointment with the worlds worst doctor!” Lol. I would take comfort in knowing that your doc isn’t the one George was speaking of! Hope everything works out.
Tom (tcwright)- Any word on how long your power will be out? Glad the wife is enjoying the “trip.”
Well, my food is up. So, I’ll just meander on over to a booth and “keep on keepin’ on” with my “research” for my layout!
Sam
May He bless you, guide you, and keep you safe on your journey through life!
I Model the New Hope & Ivyland RR (Bucks County, PA)
Garry sorry for your loss.I’m Scottish, Irish and German. My mother’s side is 100% German having come over in the early 1800’s with the entire family buying 2,500 acres of land in what is now Perrysburg, OH and some of the family buying land in Napoleon, OH. In northern Ohio it seems immigrants settled in groups and most towns or county’s have a Polish section, Italian section, German section, Slovak section, etc… so keeping the German culture alive in my family was pretty easy. On my father’s side one family member came over on the Mayflower, not as a pilgrim but as an ordinary seaman. He couldn’t pay for the voyage so he crewed on three trips across the Atlantic to pay for his passage. Over the years my Mother’s sides of the family were farmers, orchard growers, hucksters, or railroad men. On my father’s side of the family most worked in the military, police Officers, and railroad men. Then you have me who started as a carpenter (finishing and mill Wright) to running off and joining the Coast Guard.
BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret) L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes
Good morning all,
Todd if you want to achieve a nominal rail height of 41” I highly recommend using 2x4x92 studs. Not 2x4x96 boards. Studs are less than $2 each and you can get 2 legs from each stud. 2x2 legs are ok but they require a 1x4 or 2x2 stiffeners or cross member to give them the proper right and left strength.If you build a 1x4 box frame and use 2x4 legs screwed together with a ½ plywood top a 220 pound person can sit on your layout (trust me on this). Granted you’ll have an 11” scrap piece (less if your building on a unlevel floor) after you cut the legs, but on a model railroad build you will find a use for those scraps and a typical 2x4x96 costs almost $3 in comparison to the 2x4x92 that costs about $1.50 to $1.90 each.
No matter what you use to build the top surface of the layout remember you will forget and reach across the layout at some point and put your weight on the layout to support yourself or your buddy will stop in for a visit and lean on it.
Heartland Division CB&QSad note from son and daughter-in-law in Cincinnati. Daughter-in-law's father died yesterday. DIL has 2 sisters and a brother and the father was living in KY.
Our condolances to your family and theirs
My family is of German heritage from both my parents being born in the erzgebirge region. My father born in Mulde and my mother born in Dresden. Both of the families had a lot of "characters" in them--robber barons, landed gentry, artists, musicians. All kindsa fun stuff
Good Morning--
Kinda early to be up but I got some stuff to do today---weekend seminar series this afternoon and church related fiddlebits this morning I'm heading outa town Monday as well so I might not be on until Wednesday----
Chloe, I'll have a strong coffee and a 2 egg special on a bagel please---with sausage please----I'll be at the RC for a bit-
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Good Morning everyone!
Well, Chloe, I need a good and healthy breakfast this morning. No, not that French stuff I had in recent days, but a good old American breakfast with coffee, bacon and eggs, toast and butter, sausages and mushrooms, not to forget the OJ!
I went to my house to clear the side walk again. It is covered with a 4 inch layer of ice, which resisted any of my attempts to clear it. A neighbor helped out with a few buckets of sand, so it is not slippery anymore. It still hurts to see the house. I need to find a way to cope with that...
It was interesting to read about this ancestry thing. My side is just plain old German, which is boring. My father´s origin is way east in Eastern Prussia. The family tree goes back into the 13th century, when this area was settled in the wake of the Order of the German Knights´ sweep towards the east. The family castle got burned by the Red Army in 1945, so there is nothing left of those 600 years of family tradition. My mother´s origin is in Silesia, now Poland. Silesia was Austrian and became Prussian, when Frederic II. beat up his Austrian cousin Mary Therese of Austria in the so-called 7-year war.
In Germany, it is quite difficult to follow your ancestry, as a lot of documents went up in flames during WW II. Only with the help from a guy in Australia, we were able to find the missing link on my father´s side. Putting it all together, I am the offspring of rowdy medieval knights, who spent their time drinking, singing (Carmina Burana - Tom ) and beating up the peasant population of slavic origin.
My wife´s origin must be Italian, as her last name indicates. De Gene - from Genova. Her family migrated from Italy to Germany via France and Belgium. They arrived shortly before the industrialization started in the middle of the 19th century. All of her relations have worked with Krupp, since. When I met her, I was with Thyssen, with whom Krupp enjoyed a century old, fierce competition...
Rob - I was quite happy with my BLI SD40-2. I don´t know whether they have one in CSX paint scheme, but I liked the sound. Converting them to DCC was just a matter of dropping in a decoder - took me less than 5 minutes. Factory Direct trains sells them for less than $ 120, plus the cost of a decoder. Athearn Genesis has a SD45-2 or a SD60I in CSX colors, which are just about in the same price range, but without sound. Atlas has a Dash8-40C. There may be more around.
Garry - my condolences on your DIL´s father´s passing.
I hope everyone is having a good day!
***Garry, more like "Tunnel Of Labour"...ok, I suppose love did have something to do with it, too. Sorry about the DIL's father.
I started searching pics of lashups and has been suggested in here, just about any combo can be found. Hmm, now that opens up all sorts of excuses reasons for future roster expansion.
HO Question: Which brand(s) should I consider for a general purpose diesel (CSX for the wife)? She might end up with DCC one day, but she likes the simplicity of DC. Doesn't like complicated things much. Her circus loco is a Bach 2-8-0 DCC/DC-compatible loco. I just thought it might be nice to get a CSX road diesel for her, since she did bring it up the other day. She still needs a logging loco, which will probably be one of those 2-6-6-2 Mantuas, which are DCC ready. Suggestions? Wish the sound equiped locos were not so bloody expensive.
Rob
Well, I got a lot accomplished tonight. I went through on Google Earth and Bing.com Maps and mapped out the NH&I from Warminster up to Upper Mountain Rd. Now I just have what is the "reality" NH&I passenger section to map out... then it is on to a design phase, where I will have to decide what will be eliminated due to "selective compression"
Anyways, I'll be heading home. Have a great night friends!
Supposedly I'm Related To John WEsley Hardin On My Dad's Side.
"He Came In Like a Texas Wind
And Took The Eastbound Train.
Goin',Goin'With Jane Bowen.
Til'The Lawmen Caught Up,
So Long Janie,Cheer Up,
Cause I'll Be Back again."
-Johnny Cash:"Hardin Wouldn't Run".
Good evening ...
Rob .... Is that tunnel on the wife's layout called "Tunnel of Love"? ... You were talking about CSX an UP, we see plenty of UP and BNSF units (including Santa Fe and BN colors) in loco consists with CSX units on the CSX line near here.
Regarding ancestors. .. I'm 1/2 English, 1/4 Scotch, and 1/4 Dutch. Or just say 100% American. Some of the notable ancestors include a state governor in the 1800's who later worked in the Lincoln Administration. Also, anyone familiar with St. Louis history may be familiar with Boyds department store which my great grandfather started.
I operated trains in my now cleaned up layout room today. I'm fixing some Lionel trains for grandson in Grand Rapids.
Sad note from son and daughter-in-law in Cincinnati. Daughter-in-law's father died yesterday. DIL has 2 sisters and a brother and the father was living in KY.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Rob,
I've seen UP units on CSX trains running through Pittsburgh on many occasions, so it wouldn't be hard to justify at all. I sometimes think you can mix anything and it would more than likely be prototypical somewhere at some time.
We ended up with a little over 24" of snow in the North Hills area outside of Pittsburgh. I was right as my little snowblower was overwhelmed. But the main problem for us was the electricity went out about 5:00 AM on Saturday morning. Looks like it's going to off for awhile too. Having decided that sitting in the dark with no heat, lights, phone, internet, etc and waiting to freeze to death didn't sound like a good option, the wife and I threw some things in a bag and are now comfortable at a motel about 20 miles north of where we live. She is happy and looking at it like a mini vacation with no cooking or other household duties.
***Robby (& anyone else): Does this mean I can also justify picking up one of those BN road switchers I've been pondering for some time? Not that I actually need a legit reason, but it doesn't hurt.
I thought I had given up diesels all together!?! Seems I'm smitten with them once again. Hope all the steamers won't mind some company now and then. Of course none of them have a N layout to roam on yet anyway and probably won't until the wife's HO layout is closer to completion.
Those twp prescriptions I need didn't come through today. Maybe Monday. Somebody at the docs office is working on getting real close haircut.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
I've seen em'in concert twice:In January 2007 with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at the Bass Hall in Fort Worth then about a year later when I saw their Musical"A Ride With Bob"about the life and times of The King Of Western Swing,Bob Wills!!!
At least two Texas Music Legends were born near the old T&NO Houston-Dallas Line:Bob Wills was born in Kosse and Blind Lemon Jefferson was born in Wortham.
Now it's true that Turkey,Texas in the Panhandle was where Bob Wills grew up at and claimed as his hometown,but he lived in Kosse until he was four or five.
Blind Lemon Jefferson's buried in the Negro Cemetery in Wortham.On his tombstone,the phrase"See To It That My Grave Is Kept Clean"is engraved on it.
And sure enough,his grave is kept clean.
AztecEagleYep!!Luckily there are a few out there who haven't sold out to NashVegas:Roseanne Cash;Steve Earle;Dwight Yoakum;Randy Travis;Hank Williams III and Asleep at the Wheel to name a few!!
Asleep At The Wheel is a wonderful band. Saw them a few years ago.
AztecEagleAlan Jackson and Brad Paisley can sing some really true country songs!!
My wife got some of their CD's around here---they do sing the true country style---you just have to get by the obligatory contract "schtuff"
Cederstrand Veggie plate, please. When my wife and I were in town, we watched a couple CSX trains pass each other in town. She suggested having CSX on one of our layouts. Somehow, this lead to an impulse buy (on my part) tonight on the-bay: This one is N, so my question is, will CSX mix well with UP? Rob
Veggie plate, please.
When my wife and I were in town, we watched a couple CSX trains pass each other in town. She suggested having CSX on one of our layouts. Somehow, this lead to an impulse buy (on my part) tonight on the-bay:
This one is N, so my question is, will CSX mix well with UP? Rob
mmmm---I think I saw summat with a couple of CN and UP engines going through London ON recently. Of course no dang camera!!
I suggest a "power move" of a sort---even if some find it a bit odd
I don't see why not.On run throughs and lease units,I've seen Helm Leasing;First Union;General American;CN;CP;KCS;CSX;NS;BNSF and TFM/KCSdeM from time to time on UP and BNSF Freights,so if anyone asks tell em'the UP Unit's a Run Through!!
Evenin' Folks!
Back home from having Christmas Dinner at my sister's house. (I already explained this earlier... Don't Ask!) She cooked a couple very tasty pork tenderloins, a rice pilaf, and cabbage salad (with raisons and apples and good stuff like THAT). I brought my famous baked Winter Squash. Then had Various fruit sorbets for dessert. Opened our presents. Kinda of interesting as I had totally forgotten what I had bought her for Christmas... Played with the Granddaughters (Her Grand Nieces!), and generally had a very restful and enjoyable afternoon.
My son is still having trouble with the furnace in his new house. They heard a strange sound down cellar this morning and Art went downstairs to see a huge cloud of steam in the part of the basement where the furnace is. Seems the high temp shut off switch was malfunctioning and the gas was boiling the water instead of just heating it to 180°F. The temp was 220°F and the emergency pop off valve blew. Art shut down the funrace manually and called the guy who they have as a handyman. He came right over. He was still working on it when They had to leave to come up to my sister's. He got a call from him late afternoon saying he had fixed THAT problem, but could only get one of the 5 zones on the system to work properly...... Hopefully they will get everything running on Monday for him (has to pick up some parts for it).
BTW, I used to tell my 8th. grade classes when we would start to study American Musical History and would discuss the "Tossed Salad" mentioned earlier. That I am decended from a long line my Father told my Mother........
OK. I'll be quiet and go sit in the back by the stove!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Yep!!Luckily there are a few out there who haven't sold out to NashVegas:Roseanne Cash;Steve Earle;Dwight Yoakum;Randy Travis;Hank Williams III and Asleep at the Wheel to name a few!!
And one of the sad things is that when the suits in NashVegas'll let em',Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley can sing some really true country songs!!
They both have pure country voices,but for the most part they record some Pop Country Fluff!!!
A really good book to read is"Sing Me Back Home"*by Dana Andrews Jennigs.
(*Not to be confused with Merle Haggard's Autobiography of the same name).
He talks about growing in New Hampshire in the 60's and listening to the C&W of the era and he too isn't fond of Hat Act Pretrty Boys!!!
My SIL made Nachos for supper tonight.Tried to watch"DaVinci Code"but since it'll be on until 10,I decided not to.
"Outside Of a Dog,A Book Is Man's Best Friend.Inside Of a Dog It's Too Dark To Read."-Groucho Marx.
Good evening. Finally stop snowing, but its cold, and we got about 22 inches of snow. They are calling for 2-4 by Tuesday - Wednesday!!
Didn't do much on the layout other than run the train some, and touched up the swamp.
Rob..........CSX will be fine with up. It could be like a "lease" to UP. When I would go and get some video of CSX I was getting a lot of BNSF with CSX. Someone told me CSX was leasing them. So I think you will be fine with a mix . Plus I've seen video with a NS mixed with UP, BN, etc.....
Lee- Not sure I understand what you mean.
Keith- Oh I look for good deals for sure and don't necessarily fall in the "gotta be cabinet grade wood" for sure. But, I don't go for the super cheap stuff either that twists and bends as soon as it sets in the house for a day. I have been usin 1X4's and have some 2X4's to use up. I will prabaly use some 2X4's on some parts and 1X4's on others depending.
Oh wait, Lee- are you refering to the 2x4's that are cut to about 91 or 92 ish inches? If I recall, they are cheaper than the 8 footers.
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Hmm!!Actress Comedian Brett Butler(Grace Under Fire)once commented"I'm So Southern I'm Related To Myself!!".
In a strange coincidence,I've got about 200 years of Southern History in me:My Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather Patterson served in the American Revoluition in the 10th North Carolina Contiental Line Regiment;my Great Great Grandpa Patterson and one of his four brothers srerved in the 47th Tennessee Infantry,CSA.
In one of those really strange coincidences,my GG Grandpa Patterson was a Sergeant in Co.A,47th Tennessee and his brother was a Captain in the 47th Tennessee,Co.A!!
My Great Great Grandpa John B.Jordan(My family pronounced it'Jerdin)was a Captain in the 36th Alabama,CSA.
He was captured by the Yankees and sent to the infamous Elmira Prison Camp in Upstate New York.
However,he escaped and caught a train heading for Canada.Upon crossing over into Quebec,he made his way to Halifax,Nova Scotia and caught a blockade runner to New Orleans and rejoined his unit!!
A semi funny but true story:As said in a previous post,I lived in a small town in South Central Texas with a primarily German/Czech populace.
And there wasn't really too much to do on weekends except drink beer and watch the SP come through town.
One Saturday,I was in a little'watering hole'drinking a few cold ones and a friend of mine saw a news story about the Confederate Monuments Controversy.
He said"You Know,I'm Tired Of All This BS About the Confederate Flag!!It's Heritage Not Hatred!!".
I said"Yep!!I Pretty Much Agree With You!!By The Way,On Which Side Of Your family Voted For Jeff Davis and Flew The Stainless Banner and The Bonnie Blue Flag??".
He got real sheepish and said"Uh Neither Side!!We Didn't Come To America From Germany and Czechoslovakia Until The Turn Of The Century!".
It Was All I Could Do To\ Keep From Spitting Out My Beer and Telling Him"You Damned Poser!!!You Got About As Much Business Flying the Rebel Flag as a Pig Needs To Know Quantum Physics!!!My Ancestors Were Fighting Yankees When Yours Were Calling Hogs in The Carpathian Mountains!!"
But I didn't!! Anyway,enough about history for tonight!!
Just give me a Chili Dog and Onion Rings to go!!"The DaVinci Code"is on TNT Tonight!!!
Todd.. Yo~!
"Keith- I have that "stop, slow down and do it right" voice too. THIS time around, I'll do my best to listen! No promises."
Todd, I'd practically kick myself everytime I would see some glitch or something I decided not to take the time to do~ I just feel better knowing I did do it right.. or at least took the time. But honestly .. I thought this was going to be alot easier. I just felt I had to be able to pull straight into the lead yard or into the A/D ..off the main.
Now Todd.. concerning wood. Some areas of the layout should be taken in for strength not how cheap the wood you can buy. Some wood is not dry enough and can warp on you. Some types of wood, are just too plain soft .. especially where needed strength might be a factor. A soft lumber can and will give.. even if bolted.. over time.. it does give. Now you wouldn't want a soft wood for legs? Maybe I'm wrong, but look around, the heavier the wood the harder.. in general. Although.. some hard wood.. can and will split.. than give.
All I am just sayin.. Yes.. buy the cheap stuff ... most of the time.. but not too cheap. Look around and check to make sure its not too soft.. or it hasn't been dried enough." A few cents more .. might save a few head aches. Look for the weaker areas that might need a heavier gauge of strength .. lets say legs of the layout. Good luck.. keep us informed.
Keith
Todd, don't buy 2x4's buy "Studs" they are cheaper and you'll find that you waste less wood.
Well, the rugby pitch was more mud and water today than grass. That was one crazy game. We lost either 15-7 or 17-7, not quite sure. did manage to get my adams apple smashed by a guy on the other team; the top of his head smashed my throat.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
JimRCGMOHey, Dick - good luck with finding much of any Blue Boxes nowadays! Didja forget Athearn has stopped production of those (at least a month, maybe two ago)? Yeah, they did - I was crushed when I first heard about that. So I guess we'll have to stock up on Accurail or maybe Tichy kits, right? We've got a bit of slushee coming down tonight (but only a winter storm 'advisory') - it's 34 F now, and only will reach 31 F tonight. Plus, the ground's not that cold, so it won't stick through tomorrow. Just fine with me - keep people off the streets tonight, and my on-call tonight a very 'silent night'...Blessings,Jim in Cape Girardeau
Hey, Dick - good luck with finding much of any Blue Boxes nowadays! Didja forget Athearn has stopped production of those (at least a month, maybe two ago)? Yeah, they did - I was crushed when I first heard about that. So I guess we'll have to stock up on Accurail or maybe Tichy kits, right?
We've got a bit of slushee coming down tonight (but only a winter storm 'advisory') - it's 34 F now, and only will reach 31 F tonight. Plus, the ground's not that cold, so it won't stick through tomorrow. Just fine with me - keep people off the streets tonight, and my on-call tonight a very 'silent night'...
Blessings,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
JIM: Yup, I read the news a while ago, however my LHS still has an ample supply of Blue Boxes. And of course there are Accurail and Branchline kits at his store also, so I am in pretty good shape for now with kits.
Sounds like you ducked the big storm of the century that hit NC, VA, MD and PA. We missed it too as it did a right face as it approached NE. Rumor has it that Scot Brown had some influence on the storm track. LOL
No MRR work today, had to help the wife with Super Bowl prep as we have 14 people coming over tomorrow.
ULRICH: I have a Germanic connection also, my grandmother on my mother's side was 1/2 English 1/2 German. Father's side was all Canadian French when a young sailor settled in New France in 1630. Of course there were women behind every tree in Canada, so I must also have Native American in me also, as those Frenchmen married many of the native ladies.
So how are all you guys doing tonight who live under three feet of snow?
"73"
Grilled chicken, please.
Took a few pics of the rocks I made for the wife's HO layout the other night. Used leftover mortar (for laying tile floors) mixed a bit on the dry side. Will touch them up with paint, then add foliage & stuff around them here and there. Also played around with some of those sprinkle on grasses. If anyone is wondering, those are horse trails around that part of the farm, which overlooks the town.
That's it for now.
Hope everyone is doing well.
All this talking of heritage shows it's a small world and we are all related. America is NOT a melting pot. It is a TOSSED SALAD.
Prayers for all. And a warm home.I include our cousins in Oz and all over the globe.
Flip